Slack or cuttings removing device for kerf-cutting machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 4, 1944. w. T. MCCULLOUGH SLACK OR CUTTINGS REMOVING DEVICE FOR KERF-CUTTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 21, 1943 July 4, 1944. w. T. MCCULLOUGH SLACK OR CUTTINGS REMOVING DEVICE FOR KERF-CUTTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 21, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 at? IVVE NTR,

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Patented July 4, 1944 3 This invention relate o' improvements in'slack or cuttings removing devices "for kcrf-cutting machineaand' more particularly to cuttings'r'emovable devices ofthe screw or helical c'onveyer type similar to those illustrated in my prior Pat ent Nc-.2,320,004,filed December 6, i941, and my prienapplication Serial 'No. 464,594, 'filed No- 'vember 5, 1942. f I '1 Among the objects 'of'ithe present invention is .to provide an improved'fjorin and arrangement of rotatable "sweep or-impeller device to insure the positive feeding of' the cuttings into the screw cenveyerz A further object of I'ny'inv'ention is to provide an im roved constru'oticnfor' detachably'fnounting the cuttin s i'e'nlova il devide' the machine, to permit ready'rinoval for'rep air or replacen'ientofs'a'id device; 1;; 1 g

'A still 'furtherbbject'of my invention is to provide' an interlocking connectionbetween the screw epi v'jey contrelcl u t'ch and the fastening device. i Theinvention may best be understood by referen'ee to-the accompanyingfdrawiiigsin which: Figure 1' is a fragmentary plan view of the rear end of 'axkerf-cutting machine with a slackrenroving device constructed inaccordfance with my invention "attached thereto and shown in part in h z nta is on: a I

Fi g'ure Z is a rear view of the machine, drawn to an enIargedQseale, with parts of the slack-re moving device shown in section; I V Figure ,3 is afragmentary view in side elevationiofr the rear partpf the machine, with certain parts of; thenachine and-the slack removing" device shown in substantially longi Figure 4 is a partial fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lines 4 -4 'cf-Figure; 1; Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan View of the rear end of the machine, drawn to the same scale as Figure 1; with the slack-removing device attached thereto; and v v l v Figure dis a fragmentary transverse sectional view showing certain details of. the cuttings sweep and themeansfor defiectlng the cuttings onto the slack-removing conveyor. Referring" now' to the details of construction of the embodiment of -my invention illustrated in the drawings, the slack-removing device is,-in

the main, of a construction and arrang'ement STATES PATENT OFFICE i -ll i, f I I case-195? Y cfkfoncprris Immense-twic QK R 'W NQMAQ W I William T. McCullough, Chicago; assignor ,Qoodman Manufacturing ';I ll. a c0rporation oflllinois. n "atp ic'atiofn October 21, 1943-, serial n 50mm cl ims, (01.262 30) cent the cutter chain I sprocket I'L I more'particularly set forth as farming the subject matter of the present nvention. 7

The slack-removing device is shown as app ed to a kerf-cutting machine of conventional i em and p'illar type, including a main frame I I havmg a cutter bar [2 projecting forwardly there'- from. As usual, a cutter chain I3 is driven orbitally about said cutter bar and operates in" a cuttings channel defined by side walls [5,15 and a base plate-l6 beneath a drive motor [4. The cutter chain is driven by a sp'roclie't I"! driven-as usual from; the motor l4 so asto-bring the cuttirigs rearwa'riily througlithe cuttings channel for discharge at the rear end of the-machine. The'slack-removing device includes'a tubular easmgzo' with a'screwconveyer element-2| there in, disposed transversely across the cuttings chaii f-ll at the rear end of themadhine. Said tubular casing has an'elongated cuttings receiving aper ture 2201i its inner side opposite and closely adja- Said casing is arranged to close the rear end of the cuttings channel so that substantiallyall of the cuttings brought back by the cutter chain will be received and be discharged by the slack-removing'device. In order to insure the positive feed of cuttings through the aperture 22 and into the'conveyer w en adapted to sweep the bottom'plate 1's, and uprightimpeller" face 29 along its forward casin'grtn, I have heretoforedisclosed; in'my an plic'ati'on Serial-No.,464,594, aurotary sweep or agitator havingjradially disposed arms secured to the bottom of the cutter chainnsprocket. ,In carrying out the present invention I prow'de an imfiroved form of sweep 23 wherein apluralityof impeller arms are disposed at a substantialwretreating angle relative to' the normal direction or rotation'of the sweep, so as to provide a; mere ptzv'sitivepropelling action for feedin the cuttings to" the screw conveyer. In the formlo'f' sweep shown herein, a hub 25 of said sweep is suitably se'c'ured to the lower end of the cutter chain sprocket H, as by nut 26', and four arms 21,11 extend substantiallytangentially of saidhub. The sweep is designed for' normal rotation ina counterclockwise direction, as 'seen' in Figure l, andeach'of the arms 21,11 moves in a counterclockwise directidn at a substantial retreating angle to the direction of rotation of the sweep herein'about 'nihety' degrees to the radial lines of s'alfdswp' l 1. Y 5'11 "Ihe aim's'fl' are'e'ach' formed of a horizontal edge i Tlieouter ends l of said arms move in 's path approaching the screvveonveyOrelement}! quite closely,--irr=the form shown said-path -exbracket 33 having its outer end secured to the bafile plate adjacent its rear end, asby welding; The rear end of said baflle plate terminates at the left or advance side of the cuttings receiving aperture 22 of the casing A bafile plate 24 is securedas by weldi'nga lts rear end to the casing 20 adjacent the outer e'n of the opening 22, and projects forwardly'and inwardly toward the sweep 23, as shown in Fig-v ure 1. A flexible extension 240, made ofrubber" 1 or: similar material, is fixed on; theend; of; said baflle plate so as to be projected into the. path of the arms 2 1, Hand assist in directing the cuttings into the opening 22. r

With the arrangement of parts thus described, the cuttings, brought back by the cutter. chain, whichotherwise would collect on the base plate I6 and pile up in the rear left-hand corner .of

the discharge passage,- are positively engaged by the v.rearwardly inclined. sweep arms 21 so as to tend to force them radially outwardly toward the arcuate-bafile plate v3ll while sweepin them Ifiarwardly. Aseach arm 21 approaches the aperture 22 Of1th8 casing, the, cuttings are posi; tively forced rearwardly, through said aperture 221-and; into the path of the screw conveyer 2|. .Thus, the cuttings are constantly being swept along the base plate ylfiof; the discharge passage, and fed-into the conveyer, so that cloggingpfgthe discharge passage. due to the accumulation of in ertmasses of cuttings therein is entirely overcome 1' v The screw conveyer, element 2|, consists of'a :blade '2 fixed on a tubular shaft 2l2,- jdriven by power-by the cutting machine, motor .14, through suitable gearing which herein-includes the Outer end of said pin'land at the otherend i a drive shaft 34 journaled in spaced anti-friction bearingmembers 35, 36 in a housing ill which .encloses onev endof the casing 20.- The drive shaft 34- has a bevel gear 38 keyed on its outer end, meshed with a bevelpinion 39 rotatably mounted on a sprocket shaft .40 extending trans.- .versely of 'the shaft 34. Said sprocket shaftris journaled in spaced anti-friction bearings 4i :and 42 at front and rear, respectively, of-1the housi-ng 3.1. A sliding clutch collar.43 is featheredion shaft .40 withinv said housingL-aand has-clutch teeth 44 for engaging corresponding clutchteeth 46-.formed on the inner face of bevel pinion-I39,

, The clutch collar 43 is shifted .by ayoke fixed 1on mining machines of this character, -dri ven .as

usual from the motor 14 through gearing which need :not be further described herein asit forms no part he-P esent nt ntio .The drive sprocket 50 is preferablyicohnected .75

to shaft 40 through an automatic limit clutch device, herein consisting of clutch members and 56 having engaging teeth with inclined faces.

The clutch member 55 is fixed to the sprocket V 50, and the other clutch member 56 is feathered on the shaft 40 and normally urged toward clutch member 55 by a coil spring 54, having its front end seat'ed infacollarg5 fi'xedorrz the front end oisaid=sh'a tt. The tensionotthe 'coilspring 54 is such as to permit the teeth of clutch members 55 and 56 to become automatically disengaged under apredetermined driving load so as to avoid danger of breakage of the conveyer blade, a's,'for instance'when' excessively large pieces of material' become engaged-in the screw conveyer.

"The tubular casing 20 surrounding the screw c'onv'ey'er' element" 21 is provided with an opening 200; alongits upperi rear side, normally enclosed by a door 51 hinged along its bottom edge so as to" affordaccess to the screw conveyer when necessary for the removal I of. undesirable pieces of rnaterial which may become lodged thereinso as to interfere with its proper functioning, I In the .formshown herein, the hinged door 51 is provide'd withalocking luguflq at one end thereon ryvhich is adapted for endwise-sliding engagement b a locking pin .63. Said lockingpin is guided .in spaced ears 630, 630 on the C,& i ng.20, and

has interlocking; operative connection with .the

"C t c n ol evel- 41 .inith ge r hou i through a link 53, which is pivoted atoneendto to the control lever 41. The arrangement is such that the locking pin .63 cannot be shifted to unlock the door 51, without simultaneously disen elongated platel fl det'acha'bl y secured atits front end to the adj acent, side wall. 'I 5,. and having, its

widened rear end projecting r'earwardly beyqi a said wall" and terminating in atransvers'ely disposed tubular portion 64 whic'h surrouiids"f the housing31, which, for conveniencefis'also' tubular in'cross section at this poiht'; The tubular portion 64 is preferablyformedwith afdetaeh'able rear half pmmnss split from the front half po tion 66 t an upwardlyfand ;forwardly inclined rat-gi gle. fSa'id-haltportions are join b'ybolt 61-,

The bracket 6! for the right sid chine is similar "in form to i bracket {6 '3 ju scibed abovefexcepting"that' its splittubularpor 7 tion 64 is somewhat larger than thecorres'p'ondins Dortion' of bracket 60. so a's to fit around the large. tubular casing -20 adj ace nt' the right end of the slack conveying device. t

. .The brackets an and..6|. are.c'e-nnectedto-.,thelr' respective side walls .l 5 r by a. .plurality ofibolts. In the. form shown the left: bracket'ifl liss'ecured.

by the same through-bolts 3I.-a'nd;32; whichare employedito secure; the bafiie-plateifll atthe'ilnside :of I the .left; side .wall- I 5, ;as .;previously; del T e. bracket 51:. is secu ed-tattle i ht s .W. ..i ..b .s aqe mms a 6.9; a; :-v a h e. a here n hown .and..des inen. ..ne o m i wh h vm a nve Qmma -be;.ernbqdie i .w e uaq srs qdii e he c nstru ts; h of nd. the en a em t o eme Ina T The slack-removing device has means for late I limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a kerf-cutting machine having a frame,

a horizontally disposed chain carrying cutter bar.

having a portion extending through a cuttings discharge passage in said frame, and a drive, sprocket for said cutter chain adjacent a horif zontally opening outlet for said cuttings dis; charge passage, the combination of a rotary sweep element mounted in said passage substantially concentric with and below said drive sprocket; said sweep element having a plurality of arms extending at a retreating angle relative to the normal direction of rotation of said drive sprock-f et, and means for rotating said sweep element in the same direction as said drive sprocket so as to force the cuttings radially outward and through said cuttings outlet. 2. In a kerf-cutting machine having a frame, a chain carrying cutter bar having a portion e1;- tending through a cuttings discharge passage in said frame, a cutter chain drive sprocket disposed adjacent the rear end of said passage, a cuttings discharge device including a, horizontally disposed casing having an inlet opening in cuttings-receiving relation at the rear end of said passage and having a screw conveyer element therein, ja rotary. sweep element mounted in said passage substantially concentric with and below said drive sprocket, said sweep element having a plurality of arms extending at a retreating angle to the normal direction of rotation of said sprocket, and means for rotating said sweep element in the same direction as said sprocket so as to force the cuttings radially outward and feed them into the screw element in said casing.

3. In a kerf-cutting machine having a frame, a chain carrying cutter bar having a portion extending through a cuttings discharge passage in said frame, a cutter chain drive sprocket disposed adjacent the rear end of said passage, a cuttings discharge device including a horizontally disposed casing having an inlet opening in cuttingsreceiving relation at the rear end of said passage.

and having a screw conveyer element therein, a rotary sweep element mounted on said drive sprocket below said chain, said sweep element having a plurality of arms extending at a retreating angle to the normal direction of rotation of said sprocket, so as to force the cuttings radially outward and feed them into the screw element in said casing.

4. In a kerf-cutting machine having a frame, a chain carrying cutter bar having a portion extending through a cuttings discharge passage in said frame, a cutter chain drive sprocket disposed adjacent the rear end of said passage, a cuttings discharge device including a horizontally disposed casing having an inlet opening in cuttingsreceiving relation at the rear end of said passage and having a screw conveyer element therein, a rotary sweep element mounted in said passage substantially concentric with and below said drive sprocket, said sweep element having a plurality of arms extending at a retreating angle to the normal direction of rotation of said sprocket, arcuate bafile means in said passage in close confining relation to said sweep arms and terminating at the advance side of the inlet opening of said conveyer casing, and means-for rotating said sweep element in the same direction as said sprocket so as to force the cuttings radially outward and feed them into the screw element in said casing.

5. In a kerf-cutting machine'having a frame with opposed parallel side walls forming a cuttings discharge passage, a cuttings discharge device including an elongated casing adapted to be disposed horizontally in cuttings receiving relation at the rear end of said cuttings passage, and supporting means for said casingfincluding plates secured along the opposite outer sides of the side walls of said passage and terminating in split straps adapted to extend around said casing and secure said casing to said side walls.

6. In a cuttings discharge .device for kerfcutting machines, an elongated'casing having a screw conveyer element rotatably mounted therein, drive means for said screwconveyer at one end of said casing including a clutch and a manual control lever for engaging or disengaging said clutch, said casing also havinga removable wall portion to ail'ord access to the screw conveyer element therein, locking means for said removable Wall portion on said casing, and means operatively interconnecting said locking means with.

clutch, said casing also havinga removable wall portion hinged to said casing te afford access to the screw conveyer element therein, locking means for said wall portion on said casing including a sliding locking pin and means operatively interconnecting said locking pin with the manual control lever of said clutch so that said clutch is automatically disengaged when ever said locking pin is unlocked to permit said removable wall portion to be opened.

WILLIAM T. MCCULLOUGH. 

